Encore
by palomino333
Summary: Edea stares into the mirror, and wonders if the person looking back is truly herself.


Cid and Edea Kramer's relationship in Final Fantasy VIII has been highly overlooked by fans of the game. They are actually the only pairing of the game that I really love, alongside Laguna and Julia.

Although their relationship does not meet as tragic an end as the latter, Cid and Edea each have to go through horrible things in their lives, and yet they still stay together in the end.

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><p>That visage…Those pale features in the mirror…They were hers. Edea laid a bare hand on the glass, and shivered slightly at the chill it gave her. The thin figure inside moved with her in perfect synchronization. It resembled her perfectly; its face was frail-looking, its expression grave. It scared her to think that such a harmless countenance had been that of a war-mongering murderess. Was it really her? She was actually nervous to close her own eyes for a moment, lest the figure escape its prison, and harm her.<p>

Edea shook her head slowly as she lowered her hand. No, that was foolish. It had to be her. At the same token, however, she found it extremely hard to fight the revulsion that was creeping inside her at herself. She had seen her reflection in ice many times when she was very young, and her powers had been unstable. It had been unhappy, but it had never looked so miserable. Twelve years of her life were gone from her forever. Events she couldn't even remember had done the most mental and emotional damage to her. Edea knew quite well that it wasn't her fault, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Those hadn't been her hands that had performed such cruel acts, but the blood remained on them all the same. Who was she now?

She certainly was not the Matron anymore. It shattered her heart to admit that, but it was completely true. What was past was past. The children had grown, and she, no, not she, her body had spent its sweet time trying to end their existences, all the while threatening anything in her path. Her very husk had become a weapon for destruction. She would be lying to herself if she thought that anyone would trust her with an orphaned child until a good amount of time had passed. The exact length was unknown, and she was happy to leave it that way. At least she had the consolation that she also wasn't the monstrous Sorceress she had once been under the control of Ultimecia. The whole situation hurt Edea deeply and stung her pride, but she had to brush it off. There was no going back there.

Edea's thoughts were interrupted by a sensation of something moving on her shoulder. She had subconsciously leaned forward on her elbows on the worn vanity while deep in thought. It had caused her black hair to cascade over her shoulder. She smiled softly at it before pushing it back. If had taken quite some time to yank that ridiculously overdone headdress off of herself, but she was now free. Its jewels, beds, and silk may have looked attractive to the viewer, but to her, it had been as horrible as an iron mask. Having her hair flow had been so natural, so meek. It reflected her personality. The head piece, on the other hand, had painted her as some vain, malicious queen that had demanded respect just because she thought her beauty and wealth had merited it. For Edea Kramer, it was hell to think that she had looked this way for so many years. That ghastly make-up was gone as well. It had painted her in the face of a clown, with her eyes and lips being double their size. It had been frightening to look upon, but it was at last gone.

All that remained was this hateful, hateful dress! She seemed to be some sort of wanton coquette in this awful, skin-tight sheath. It was even more painful to wear than the head piece had been. That was combined with the spike heels to make up for the dress's obnoxious length. Unfortunately, she had no other clothes to change into at this point. Edea sighed in exasperation, and put her head in her hands. How dreadfully ugly she had been! She remained that way for a long moment, this time not even daring to look up at her reflection, much like a turtle hiding inside of its shell.

What helped the former Sorceress to come out of it, however, was a memory. He had said he would wait for her outside, and she could take as much time as she had desired. Edea hadn't a clock on her person, but she had a feeling that she had been away for far too long. After all this boundlessly kind soul had done for her, she couldn't keep him waiting another moment. That fact was combined with her strong desire to see him.

Edea stiffly rose from the old chair, one that she had pulled up after it had been overturned and tossed to the side as if it had been garbage. Turning her back on the mirror, she carefully glided across the floor, lest she trip on a fallen chunk of masonry, and headed out the doorway. Shadows, products of the furniture inside, and sunlight streaming in through holes in the wall and windows provided contrasts to her vision. She couldn't help but notice that the former made her feel rather uneasy. She quickened her pace.

Closing her eyes and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, Edea finally stepped out into the sunlight. Her eyes opened the next moment to reveal her former Knight at the foot of the stairs as he turned to face her. Cid's worried tone matched his expression as he asked, "Are you all right, darling?" She smiled sadly as she descended the stairs. Ever the gentleman, he held out a hand to her, which she softly took. The musical tune of birdsong played a soothing background to the careful rhythm of her footsteps as she descended to his level.

Edea felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as she shook her head. "I'm afraid I won't be for a long time." His fingers slowly uncurled themselves from around hers, his expression growing serious. She felt a little lonely to have his touch go so soon. Luckily for her, the loneliness only lasted for a moment, and it was not a wasted one.

Cid turned slightly on his heel to the side so that he was facing the climbing ivy on the orphanage's columns. One hand removed his glasses, while the other found her waist. His blue eyes held her brown ones the entire time, and she drew closer to him as she realized that there were tears forming in his as well. Edea's smile turned to one of content as he drew her close to his side. Her thanks came in the form of her lifting up one hand, and using it to drape a raven-colored curtain of hair over his shoulder. His own contentment was his laying his cheek down on that curtain. How her husband loved her hair!

"I suppose," he whispered, "that will make two of us." As cheerless as the statement was, it was like a great weight had been removed from her shoulders. They were together once more in this secluded place. He was not in Balamb Garden, and she was not in Galbadia. They would rebuild their shattered lives along with this ruined building that they had once called home. Whether or not it would be an orphanage again was moot, so long as the structure held an importance to them.

Edea pointed toward the ivy, and Cid followed her gesture with his eyes. "Even now," she murmured, "it still grows." Her face was turned toward his with his hand. He had stowed his glasses in his pocket.

"We will as well," Cid replied before kissing her on the lips. It was a rather short kiss, but it was sweet, much like a very first. It looked out of place for two full-grown adults to be engaging in such a chaste display of affection, but that was not what it meant to the Kramers. To them, it signified a joined life anew. Edea laid her head back on Cid's shoulder, and in their own quiet moment, the couple gazed upon the ivy once more as it continued its persevering climb.


End file.
